How do I merge 'dream house' & simple living? You know you've asked yourself equally difficult questions. I found myself on my knees asking this question today.
If you zoom in on my face, you can see me in deep consternation. I only get this look about a couple of things (adoption & real estate). This picture is taken at a potential home buy for us. This property with all its details & nuances was a real find. But one must really dig deep these days. This market is really doing a deal on my thinking. Years ago, we bought, in fact we've bought 2 homes. Long and the short, we sold the last of those 2 last May. In this market. In 2 weeks. We priced to sell, didn't take a beating, but it was painful. It had been our home. A house is only a house, but once you've made some memories in it, it's a home.
I digress. So we're still looking. At least as of 21:27 Athens time. We've decided to put the breaks on and not look till the new year. Bwaaahahahhaahaaa... that's like saying 'I think I'm going to wait to breath again until New Years Eve! I wake thinking about this, think about it while we do phonics, while I'm singing, while I'm eating... I could go on. But I don't think it's just because I've watched too many episodes on HGTV. A house is a woman's place of work. I'm in a temporary homestead. So for now, I really am concentrating on school, & dinners, games & trampolines, and being grateful for our current digs. The firepit helps. Alot.
And then... I find a blog post like this, and of all places. Martha Stewart linked up 26 houses. And of course I found the ultimate renovation. A ranch re-do. I love ranches. I love farm houses, but I also love ranches that ramble, into which you can create cozy places, with ripped out vaulted ceilings. However, I want my ranch to look like this one. I think I could find a re-do house priced right. Work on the structure & then bring it up to speed as we go. But seriously, I really don't want to be house poor. Not just house poor, but stressed because of it. We've been there. We escaped. Narrowly. The math just didn't turn the numbers I knew & dear Husband knew we needed to turn a 2 over 2 1840's on acres into our home. This is the time for me to be about as money smart as possible. Being the buyer doesn't have the same feeling anymore (if you don't like it you just sell it and move...)It may be a buyers market but that buy still needs to be realistic in order to be resonsible & live simply.
photo credit: vaulted ceiling from Martha Stewart .com
6 comments:
Thanks so much for this post!! I think it is a very good thing indeed, that we as women, love to make our living space into a home. One with warmth, love, and shared memories. What better place to harbor these things than in the seemingly perfect house. I too, have thought . . . maybe someday, when we have children, and more money . . . maybe then we will move into a newer home, with a bigger kitchen, and more than one bathroom. However, then I think about what a lovely home we already have, and I think about the conditions I have been in while on the mission field, and I think about how really, all my "dreams" are nothing unless they are offered up to God, and unless they can be shared with my family. In other words, if God isn't in it, it is simply going to bring more stress into our already stressful world, and Satan can tear families apart when we let that happen. I love that you have reminded me of this with your blog!! Thanks again! Have a very blessed day!
- MJP
We decided long ago that we'd rather be house poor and have to be extra careful about the rest of our spending than get a house we could more easily afford and spend too much each month on other things (I'm bad about this). This was our decision and it was made after 9/11 when we had lots of savings in the stock market that we watched decrease by about 50%. That said, today we are debt-free without even a mortgage, but still paying the property taxes really hurts each year. Every year at that time my husband brings up downsizing or moving to a cheaper location. But ultimately we love our house that we're rearing our children in even if it makes us house poor : ).
I hope you find what you're looking for soon. We have taken over 7 yrs to fix this house up to our liking and I can't imagine starting all over again, but the creative process is fun.
Celee
Dear Laura,
I am praying that you will find that very special house that meets all of your needs.
Hope your Sunday is restful!
~a
I hope that you find a home that touches your heart and meets all your needs. My name is Ginger and I go to church with your Aunt Sandy in CA. She told me about your blog so I thought I would stop by. I blogged daily for a few years about my home, garden, recipes. But now I just blog on weekends, time would get away from me in the blog world.I just love your aunt even though we are not the same age I just have so much fun with her. We go on garden tours together and other things as well.Talking about great houses, your aunts home is one of my top 3 favorite homes that I have seen. I just love it!
It was nice visiting your blog, enjoy your small break from looking at homes,but most of all have fun looking again. Keep praying for what your want and need in a home.
Blessings,
Ginger
Just think of this as an extended vacation!! (Easy to say, harder to do!). But I've been in your shoes. We rented a house that was not well suited for our needs because we thought it would only take us 6 months to find property and build. HA! Two and a half years later we moved into our "dream home".
It was worth the wait!!
hang in there!!
I've lived in limbo like that before -- for 2 years. It was not fun, because it is natural to want to make the place you're living in a real home, but it's hard to do in a temporary place. I'll be praying that God gives you peace during this waiting period.
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